Sun Aquatics 14K bulb very similar to radium???

[chwkreefer]

I just picked up a SA 14k 400 MH bulb. I know it hasn't had 100 hrs burn in time yet, but sheesh the light from this bulb is looking identical to the Radium bulb I have beside it over my tank. The radium bulb has about 3 months on it.

While at J&L's I overheard John stating how many people (recently) are finding SA's 10K bulbs way too yellow. A friend of mine bought two of the 10k's about two months ago and he said that the color off these bulbs was very similar to the 6500 Iwasaki's without the intensity. (nothing like the 10k ushio) Yet I've read from some other posts how their SA 10k's were bluer than the Ushio. (go figure)

Maybe it's a bit too early to tell, but it seems the color temperatures of these bulbs are a tad out of whack. If the 14k is like a radium, what the heck is a 20k bulb from Sun Aquatics gonna look like? Maybe I could use it as a night light in my son's bedroom.

I am appreciative of the fact that we have a much lower priced Metal Halide bulb out in the market for us now, but I'm concerned about the consistency and accuracy of the stated color temperatures. It would appear you gets what you pays for.

Maybe I've got it all wrong, maybe Sun Aquatics color temps are right, and all the other companies color temps are out of whack.

[Stretch]

heres a comparasion of the lamps http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm

My Sun10k's are very white

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by chwkreefer

I just picked up a SA 14k 400 MH bulb. I know it hasn't had 100 hrs burn in time yet, but sheesh the light from this bulb is looking identical to the Radium bulb I have beside it over my tank. The radium bulb has about 3 months on it.

yup thats whay I stated when i first flashed it up.

Originally Posted by chwkreefer

If the 14k is like a radium, what the heck is a 20k bulb from Sun Aquatics gonna look like?

A little more purple than a radium (so it looks like a radium with philips o3 actinics built in)

Originally Posted by chwkreefer

Maybe I've got it all wrong, maybe Sun Aquatics color temps are right, and all the other companies color temps are out of whack.

nope I think the SA bulbs are not repersentitive of there stated color temp. The AB 250 watt bulb is sold as a 10K but actualy tests out to 13K and is ice white (looks like a USHIO with the slightest hit of blue but not enuf that you see blue) but as you have seen the 14k SA which I would expect to have a slight blue tinge is totaly blue like a radium.

Steve

[Aquattro]

I just had the chance to fire up 2 400w 20k bulbs on my Son Agro ballasts and I find, for the 30 minutes I ran them, that they are brighter and whiter than Radiums on the same ballast. I'll fire one in a M59 tomorrow. They are almost too bright, as the colors of the tank seem a bit washed out, but that could just be the visual difference of running 10k just before swapping.
Unfortunately I'm just testing them for someone and have to return them, so I can't say what they'll do after 100 hours. Or 6 months. Overall, if you like the radium look, these might fit your need, for 400w anyway.

[ree-fready]

I`m running a 250 14k and a 400 14k on m58 and m59 ballasts respectively and they are very blue, I can`t believe how blue, and there is not much difference in intensity between the two. In my mind the jury is definetly still out on these. I probably have 250 hrs. on them. I tried the 10k`s for a while, 450 hr`s, and they seemed very yellow to me as well. Does ab stand for aquline busch? thanks

[Quinn]

What are the 14,000k bulbs selling for now?